NHL Recap January 28 2019
MONDAY’S RESULTS – Home Team in Caps
- PHILADELPHIA 3, Winnipeg 1
- New Jersey 6, PITTSBURGH 3
HART POSTS FRANCHISE FIRST AS FLYERS COLLECT ANOTHER VICTORY
Carter Hart (20 years, 168 days) recorded 31 saves, including 12 in the middle frame, to help the Flyers collect their fourth straight win. Hart, who’s started in each of Philadelphia’s last four contests, became the first goaltender in franchise history to post a four-game win streak prior to his 21st birthday.
* The 2018 WHL Player of the Year and CHL Goaltender of the Year is just the fifth goaltender in the last 20 years to win at least four consecutive starts prior to his 21st birthday. The others: Steve Mason (2008-09 w/ CBJ), Carey Price (2007-08 w/ MTL), Kari Lehtonen (2003-04 w/ ATL) and Dan Blackburn (2001-02 w/ NYR).
ZAJAC NETS FOUR POINTS AS DEVILS EXTEND RUN AGAINST PENGUINS
Travis Zajac (1-3—4) was one of six different players to find the back of the net as the Devils halted a three-game slide (0-3-0). New Jersey, which improved to 6-0-1 in its last seven contests vs. Pittsburgh (PIT: 1-5-1), matched its longest such run against their Metropolitan Division foe (also 5-0-2 from Dec. 23, 1987 – Dec. 23, 1988).
* The Devils’ longest stretch of contests without a regulation loss against one opponent is 23, when they went 15-0-8 from Feb. 17, 1997 – March 21, 2001 against the Rangers.
* Zajac (33 years, 260 days) is the fifth Devils player, aged 33 or older, in the last 10 years to collect at least four points in a game, joining Michael Cammalleri (34 years, 168 days: Nov. 23, 2016), Jaromir Jagr (42 years, 44 days: March 31, 2014), Brian Rolston (36 years, 280 days: Nov 28, 2009) and Patrik Elias (33 years, 229 days: Nov 28, 2009).
TUESDAY’S GAMES
| Winnipeg@ Boston | 7:00 PM ET |
| Buffalo@ Columbus | 7:00 PM ET |
| Philadelphia@ NY Rangers | 7:30 PM ET |
ZIBANEJAD SETS HIS SIGHTS ON RARE FEAT
Mika Zibanejad and the Rangers (21-20-7, 48 points) host the Flyers (20-23-6, 46 points) in search of their fourth straight win. Zibanejad, who leads his teammates with 17-27—44 in 48 GP this season, has tallied the game winning goal in each of New York’s previous three contests.
* Only two players in NHL history have registered the game-winning goal in four or more consecutive regular-season games: Newsy Lalonde (5 GP from Feb. 12-26, 1921) and Daniel Alfredsson (4 GP Jan. 9-16, 2007).
SCHEIFELE AIMS TO JOIN WHEELER AT 60-POINT BENCHMARK
Mark Scheifele (25-34—59 in 49 GP), who was held off the score sheet on Monday, can become the second Winnipeg player to reach the 60-point mark this season when the Central Division-leading Jets (31-16-2, 64 points) visit the Bruins (27-17-5, 59 points) at TD Garden. He would join Jets captain Blake Wheeler (9-52—61 in 49 GP), who played parts of his first three NHL seasons with Boston from 2008-09 to 2010-11.
* Scheifele and Wheeler can become the second set of teammates in Jets/Thrashers franchise history each with 60 or more points within the team’s first 50 games of a season and first since 2005-06, when three Atlanta players combined for the feat (Ilya Kovalchuk, Marc Savard and Marian Hossa). The original Winnipeg Jets boasted multiple players each with at least 60 points within the first 50 team games of a season on two occasions: 1983-84 (Lucien DeBlois and Dale Hawerchuk) and 1984-85 (Hawerchuk and Paul MacLean).